Comments on: Automotive Paint is Delicate – Don’t Touch It!!http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/
Auto Detailing Questions Answered by Elite Pro DetailersTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:06:42 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1By: Bobhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-13705
Sun, 23 Dec 2012 20:07:58 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-13705Todd: I’m new here, but the amount and quality of expert information from you and others is incredible…thank you! I just purchased a near show quality cobra replica (black/red) and had a paint correction/sealant performed by a local detail shop. The detailer did an amazing job and I’m now trying to learn how to keep it in near show condition. The car was driven home about 3 miles after the paint correction/sealant procedure and put into the garage. I was told to leave the car uncovered for a few days to give the sealant time to cure fully. Now, the car is dusty and daytime temps are not conducive to outside washing. I would like to cover the car, but wonder if I could just blow off garage dust with an MVC Air Force Master Blaster, or whether an Optimum No Rinse would be better. Thanks for your help! Bob
]]>By: my bloghttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-13449
Sun, 18 Nov 2012 11:19:03 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-13449Hope to hear your response.
]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7736
Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:25:23 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7736Marlene,

This can be a risky proposition for sure. On one hand, you want to show off a great looking car at the event, but on the other hand you don’t want to scratch/mar the finish. I go to car shows all of the time where the vehicles are driven in (sometimes across dirty/dusty fields), and see the scratchy ritual begin as soon as they get parked. And it’s no surprise when I walk up and down the aisles of event just to see heavily swirled show cars.

In a case like this I’d say that a modified cleaning with Optimum No Rinse would probably be your best bet. Take a pre-mixed bottle of ONR and distilled water, liberally spray down one panel and then lightly and carefully “clean” it with a plush microfiber towel. You’ll want to use a fresh side of the microfiber on each panel, so plan on going through a handful of towels for the entire car. Do one panel at a time. This should safely clean it and leave it streak-free provided you’re not trying to do it in the direct sun on a hot surface. I would limit this to early morning when the sun is low and before it gets too hot outside.

I hope this helps!
Todd

]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7732
Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:59:36 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7732My pleasure Nate…now show this article to all of your friends and family that get in and out of your car!
]]>By: Nate Falslevhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7728
Sun, 17 Apr 2011 07:13:33 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7728As a fellow Nighthawk Black Pearl owner, I appreciate you making an effort to educate the masses.
]]>By: Marlene Miciunashttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7715
Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:51:08 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7715Todd-
Regarding a quick detailer, you say it shouldn’t be used on the car once it has been driven. What about when you drive your classic car to a car show? Since it’s been driven, a quick detail spray should not be used? How do you suggest getting the car wiped down to look its best at the show? ONR is probably a bad idea as well?
Thank very much.
]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7538
Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:35:28 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7538Aman,

On the black Ferrari, they were most definitely caused by fingers. I did a “test swipe” myself and easily scratched it. On the TL, it was most likely a combination of fingers, fingernails, rings, jeans, etc. On my black TL I can always find where somebody has gotten in and out of the car and pushed on the door or touched it otherwise. I’ll find handprints, and then when I wash it I reveal light scratching/marring that requires a spot polish to fix. Now compound this over years of care that is nowhere near the OCD level of mine, and it quickly builds up to what you see in that photo. I look over so many cars and always see much more marring and scratching in the areas where the cars get handled a lot.

Great article as usual. I tip my hat off to you and all the other pros that take time out of their day to share their experience with us here. Thank you.

I just have one question about the pictures you posted. Isn’t it more likely those scratches come from nails and/or rings, as opposed to simply skin? Looking at my fingers, it’s hard to believe they could scratch the paint.

I understand if we’re talking about a shop or construction worker who gets his hands dirty. But if I remember correctly, the TL in question belonged to a Honda engineer who worked on the development of that car, correct?

You’re the pro, not me I hope you know what I’m trying to get at. Thanks again for taking time to help us out.

It depends. I’ve worked on some Mustangs with relatively soft paint, and some with relatively hard paint. So your combination would be considered heavy on one, and light on the other. You’ll just need to do a test to see what’s going to work best. For MY black paint, 205 even with a black pad won’t finish down well enough to be a final polishing step.

On yours, I’d probably first try 205/black to see what it does. If it’s too aggressive, then you’ll want to use something like Poli-Seal (quick) or Menzerna 106FA (not so quick). If it’s too light, then step up to a white pad.

]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7504
Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:46:06 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7504The first few times you use ONR it may take a little more time, but as with any “new” detailing procedure, it will become quicker as you get the system down. Sure…use the S&W on the metallic blue until you run out.
]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7502
Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:42:10 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7502With all things being equal, I consider “inside dust” and “outside dust” to be different animals. If you have your garage door open a lot, and the winds are blowing in a lot of debris and “dust”, then you’d want to be very cautious. If the car’s simply sitting in an enclosed facility and gets lightly dusted it’s much safer if done properly. Mostly what I am referring to is when people actually drive their cars and then they only look dusty. The reality is that when they’ve been driven, they’ve picked up a lot of fine (and abrasive) particles from the road, and even doing a QD wipedown would cause marring and/or scratching.

If you drive your car and don’t have time to do even a light wash afterwards, I would be extremely cautious / careful about putting a cover on it. As you pull the cover over the edges in particular, you risk rubbing that road dust across the finish. If it looks even slightly dirty, I would let it sit and gather more dust in the garage until I had the opportunity to wash it again.

]]>By: ENVautoDetailinghttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7500
Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:36:40 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7500Well said, Todd! I just finished up an 11 hour paint correction on a customers Bentley lats week, only to arrive at his home today and see the car filthy with new scratches on the doors from his children! It really makes me wonder why I spend all that time to get it back to production line quality!?!?!? But like others have said, if it weren’t for this exact example, we’d all be out of jobs!
]]>By: Matthttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7498
Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:46:17 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7498Todd, you mentioned you rarely do even a light polish on your black car. Would you consider M205 using white LC pad a light or heavy polish? That is what I was planning to use next time on my black stang to get rid of all the micro marring. Is that too abrasive? Maybe go to black pad?
]]>By: Matthttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7497
Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:38:30 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7497Thanks, I’m going to try the ONR and see how much time it saves me from the full wash. So after I switch to ONR is there any use for my Spray and Wash or should I chuck it? Maybe for my other car (metallic blue) I can get away with using it?
]]>By: Keithhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7493
Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:19:14 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7493What do you mean when you say “Dusting”? I have a car that I keep in the garage and I only take it out on the weekends. It collects dust when it sits there for 5 days…is this ok? Also, I have a car cover that I don’t use right now…which is the lesser of two evils..the cover or the dust?
]]>By: Todd Cooperiderhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7487
Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:59:00 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7487Matt,

Yes, ONR would be a good option for you when all you need is a light wash. Just follow DJ’s ONR tutorial, and you should be good to go!

]]>By: Matthttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7484
Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:54:53 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7484Todd great article, this really hits home for me as I have had a Black mustang for just over a year and learned this the hard way. Seems like litereally any time you touch it there is some new micro marring.

I have some questions on the use of quick detailer or waterless wash for cleaning a lightly dusty car (especially black like mine). Sounds like from your responses you would never recommend doing this. I am talking for a weekly cleaning for a car that only get light dust, pollen etc and is never driven in the rain. I’ve used mequires ultimate quick detailer and more recently poorboys spray and wipe but am having doubts that this was a good idea. Would ONR be safe and appropriate for this type of cleaning?

My problem is it takes me a solid 1.5 hours to do a good two bucket wash using your procedures. I don’t think I should do this level of wash every weekend just for slightly dusty/dirty surface (and don’t always have the time). Looking for a safe alternative to save some time.
thanks

]]>By: KC Detailinghttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7462
Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:45:19 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7462Thats not to say that their aren’t customers who are as OCD as we are. Just to clarify. I have some of them.
]]>By: KC Detailinghttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/automotive-paint-is-delicate-dont-touch-it/#comment-7461
Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:42:38 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=4542#comment-7461I remember back in the day when I would go to the pressure wash to clean my car and would dry it off with a normal bath towel. I would rub hard if there was grim that wouldn’t come off. Then I would spray some high-gloss tire shine on my tires and just stand back and stare at how awesome my car looked. I’ve gotten a little better since. LOL I guess it was better than cleaning my car with a sand blaster.

All that to say, some people really just have no clue at all about how to properly take care of their car. Lets educate them but give them a break if they are not as OCD as guys like us who do this for a living and as a hobby. If everyone was as obsessed about their car’s paint as we are, we would all be out of jobs. As twisted as it is, doctors need sick patients.